ISBE announces eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price lunch, breakfast, and after-school snacks
Families are encouraged to contact their local school for details on accessing free and reduced-price meals
With students returning to classrooms across the state, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is announcing the eligibility guidelines for students to receive free and reduced-price lunch, breakfast, and after-school snacks through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). NSLP and SBP are funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by ISBE.
USDA waivers specific to the COVID-19 pandemic are expiring, so schools are now returning to free, reduced-price, and paid eligibility for students.
Families are encouraged to contact their local school(s) for details about accessing free and reduced-price meals, as the process may vary across school districts.
“The importance of nutritious meals cannot be overlooked when it comes to success in the classroom. Countless studies connect nutrition to improved learning,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala.
“Free and reduced-price meals ensure access to nutritious meals and snacks for all families. I applaud all of our food service professionals who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic to ensure students across the state continued to have access to the nutrition they needed and who are now supporting students and families through the transition back to regular meal service.”
Approved high-poverty school districts have access to the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows them to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.
School districts can also determine student eligibility for free and reduced-price meals through Direct Certification, a process that uses data from other public benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to determine eligibility. Families would be notified that their students have already been certified and are eligible for free meals.
Other families would complete Household Eligibility Applications to apply for free or reduced-price meals. The applications will be assessed and determined based on federal guidelines for income and household size.
The following chart lists the household size and income criteria that determine students’ eligibility to receive free and reduced-price lunch, breakfast, and after-school snacks through NSLP and SBP. USDA’s Fiscal Year 2023 Income Eligibility Guidelines are also on ISBE’s website. The policy took effect at the start of the 2023 fiscal year on July 1, 2022. The USDA sets the policy for each fiscal year to reflect any changes in the federal poverty guidelines. The meal reimbursement rates are also annually adjusted for inflation, and the federal Keep Kids Fed Act further increased reimbursement rates to help cover rising food costs.
FISCAL YEAR 2023 INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
The United States Department of Agriculture has issued the following income guidelines for the period July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023:
| Household Size | Annual | Monthly | Twice Per Month | Every Two Weeks | Weekly |
| 1 | 17,667 | 1,473 | 737 | 680 | 340 |
| 2 | 23,803 | 1,984 | 992 | 916 | 458 |
| 3 | 29,939 | 2,495 | 1,248 | 1,152 | 576 |
| 4 | 36,075 | 3,007 | 1,504 | 1,388 | 694 |
| 5 | 42,211 | 3,518 | 1,759 | 1,624 | 812 |
| 6 | 48,347 | 4,029 | 2,015 | 1,860 | 930 |
| 7 | 54,483 | 4,541 | 2,271 | 2,096 | 1,048 |
| 8 | 60,619 | 5,052 | 2,526 | 2,332 | 1,166 |
| For each additional family member, add | 6,136 | 512 | 256 | 236 | 118 |
Reduced-Price Meals
185% Federal Poverty Guideline
| Household Size | Annual | Monthly | Twice Per Month | Every Two Weeks | Weekly |
| 1 | 25,142 | 2,096 | 1,048 | 967 | 484 |
| 2 | 33,874 | 2,823 | 1,412 | 1,303 | 652 |
| 3 | 42,606 | 3,551 | 1,776 | 1,639 | 820 |
| 4 | 51,338 | 4,279 | 2,140 | 1,975 | 988 |
| 5 | 60,070 | 5,006 | 2,503 | 2,311 | 1,156 |
| 6 | 68,802 | 5,734 | 2,867 | 2,647 | 1,324 |
| 7 | 77,534 | 6,462 | 3,231 | 2,983 | 1,492 |
| 8 | 86,266 | 7,189 | 3,595 | 3,318 | 1,659 |
| For each additional family member, add | 8,732 | 728 | 364 | 336 | 168 |
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling 866-632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
fax: 833-256-1665 or 202-690-7442; or
email: program.intake@usda.gov
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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